ADDRESS 


ELIPHALET  STONE,  OF   DEDHAM, 


DELIVERED    AT    THE 


TWENTY-FOURTH  ANNUAL  EXHIBITION 


Norfolk  Agricultural  Society 


READVILLE, 


Friday,    September    13,    1872 


UNIVERSITY  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 
AT  AMHERST 


UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 

Special  Collections  &  Rare  Books 


Spec. 

Coll. 

S 
74 

N83 

S7 

1872 


ADDRESS 


ELIPHALET  STONE,  OF  DEDHAM, 


DELIVERED    AT    THE 


TWENTY-FOUKTH  ANNUAL  EXHIBITION, 


Norfolk  Agricultural  Society 


RE^D  VILLE, 


ON 


Friday,    September    13,    1872 


A^IDDRESS. 


BY  ELIPHALET  STONE,  OF  DEDHAM. 


Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

It  is  pleasant  to  be  here  to-day,  assembled  with  the  farm- 
ers of  Norfolk,  and  to  witness  this  glorious  fruition  of  their 
hopes  and  labors.  It  is  truly  the  Farmers'  Jubilee.  To 
them  belong  all  the  credit  and  glory  of  this  Exhibition,  but 
the  joy  and  felicity  of  it  are  shared  alike  hy  all  classes.  Ar- 
tisan, lawyer,  merchant,  clergyman,  all  are  here  to  partici- 
pate in  the  rich  pleasures  of  this  festival  day.  And  as  our 
eyes  rest  with  delight  upon  these  varied  displays  of  fruit  and 
flowers  and  other  products  of  agricultural  toil  presented  here 
to-day,  I  am  sure  there  is  no  heart  that  is  not  filled  with  iu- 
creased  respect  for  the  dignity  of  labor,  and  Avith  profound 
gratitude  for  the  bounties  and  favors  of  Almighty  God. 

THE    UNITY    OF    INTERESTS. 

Agriculture  and  civilization  have  walked  the  world  to- 
gether since  the  pastoral  age  ;  and  although  agriculture  lies 
at  the  foundation  of  all  our  interests,  still  it  never  could 
reach  its  highest  usefulness  without  the  stimulus  of  other 
industries.  A  community  of  farmers  isolated  from  other  in- 
fluences will  naturally  fall  into  a  state  of  careless  indolence, 
and  will  cherish  no  desire  beyond  their  most  common 
necessities.  You  propose  to  them  to  introduce  other  inter- 
ests, and  they  will  look  upon  it  as  an  invasion  of  their  rights. 


() 


liiit  tilis  ispell  of  apathy  being  once  l)i(jken  hy  the  hitrodiie- 
tion  of  manufacturing  jDursuits,  and  the  agriculturist  will 
awake  from  his  slothful  dreams  and  co-operate  with  the  gen- 
eral progress  of  things,  and  wonder  that  the  world  moves  no 
faster. 

With  industry  comes  economy ;  and  when  idleness  steps 
out,  energy  and  manhood  step  in.  With  manufacturing  in- 
dustry come  all  the  improvements  of  the  age,  —  better  com- 
mon roads,  railroads  and  canals  :  waters  that  have  flowed  for 
centuries  untamed  to  the  ocean,  now  turn  the  Avheels  of 
industry  and  furnish  a  highway  for  the  better  transportation 
of  the  products  of  the  farmer  and  the  manufacturer,  creating 
a  home  market  and  cheap  carriage  for  their  surplus  produc- 
tions. It  is  then,  and  not  till  then,  that  the  farmer  awakes  to 
his  own  interest.  It  is  then  the  farmer  becomes  anxious  to 
probe  Nature  and  wrest  from  her  her  richest  treasures.  His 
calling  assumes  a  new  dignity  and  importance.  It  ceases  to 
be  a  mere  means  of  livelihood,  and  becomes  one  of  the  chief- 
est  instrumentalities  of  wealth,  influence  and  honor.  His 
land  rises  in  value,  his  productions  are  increased,  and  he 
supplies  himself  not  only  with  the  necessaries  of  life,  but 
with  its  luxuries  also,  and  thus  becomes  a  lord  in  creation. 
The  farmer  who  produces  food  and  the  raw  materials  for  the 
manufacturer,  must  in  return  receive  the  products  of  the 
manufacturer,  such  as  tools,  clothing  and  furniture  ;  and  the 
closer  their  interests  are  allied,  the  greater  the  profits  and  the 
cheaper  will  be  their  products  to  each  other. 

The  produce  of  the  farm  especially  will  not  l)ear  a  long 
transportation,  as  the  Cost  would  absorb  the  whole  profit 
above  production.  The  cost  of  food  that  would  feed  a  tiiou- 
sand  people  at  home  would  not  feed  five  hundred  at  the  dis- 
tance of  a  hundred  miles,  without  the  ready  means  of  steam 
or  water  transportation,  "^rhus  it  will  be  seen  that  a  popula- 
tion, combining  all  these  interests  in  close  relation,  can  sup- 
ply each  others'  wants  much  cheaper  and  to  the  material  ad- 
vantage of  all^  sending  the  surplus  to  a  foreign  market,  and 


bringing  in  return  such  articles  as  are  not  produced  in  the 
home  market,  and  giving  to  industry  its  greatest  reward. 

The  capital  expended  in  the  construction  of  improved 
means  of  communicatioHi  will  generall}^  repay  the  cost  in  the 
increase  of  the  value  of  property  situated  within  the  range  of 
its  business.  It  brings  the  producer  nearer  his  market,  and 
he  reaps  more  equal  advantages  with  those  who  live  nearer 
the  cities  and  large  manufacturing  towns.  The  cost  of  an 
article  depends  not  only  on  the  production,  but  also  on  the 
cost  of  bringing  it  to  market.  Coal  would  be  valueless  at 
the  mines  unless  there  were  other  means  than  human  poAver 
to  transport  it  to  the  consumer.  But  with  steam  or  railroad 
facilities  it  becomes  cheap  fuel  thousands  of  miles  from  the 
mine.  And  the  same  power  brings  all  parts  of  a  country 
into  close  relationship.  Thus  all  branches  of  industry  help 
and  assist  each  other,  and  all  are  made  richer  and  happier. 

But  the  vital  utility  of  manufactures  to  the  farmer  is  in 
their  subserviency  to  agriculture,  by  affording  to  the  husband- 
man a  near  and  steady  home  market .  They  give  him  the 
advantage  of  two  markets  instead  of  one  ;  and  instead  of 
quickening  the  industry  and  augmenting  the  resources  of 
other  nations,  they  stimulate  and  increase  the  capital  and 
honor  of  our  own.  In  order  to  show  the  more  intimate 
connection  between  agriculture  and  its  kindred  interests,  I 
would  refer  to  a  speech  of  Mr.  Stewart,  of  Pennsylvania,  in 
Congress,  on  the  Woollens  Bill  of  1828.  He  said  "that  he 
supported  the  bill  from  its  supposed  benefits  to  agriculture, 
on  the  ground  that  protection  to  our  manufactures  created  a 
home  market  for  our  farmers  which  no  change  in  Europe 
could  affect,  and  prevent  the  importation  of  foreign  agricul- 
tural products  to  the  neglect  of  our  own."  He  continued  : 
"What  is  the  i.nportation  of  cloth  but  the  importation  of 
agricultural  products  ?  Analyze  it,  resolve  it  into  its  consti- 
tuent parts  or  elements,  and  what  is  it?  Wool  and  labor. 
AVhat  produces  the  wool?  Grass  and  grain.  What  supports 
lal)or  but  bread  and  meat?     Cloth  is  composed  of  the  grass 


8 

and  orain  that  teed  the  slieep,  and  the  bread  and  meat  that 
support  the  hi1)orer  who  converts  the  wool  into  cloth."  He 
also  controverted  the  idea  that  the  encouragement  of  manu- 
factures was  injurious  to  commerce  ;  and  held  it  to  be  a  sound 
doctrine,  that  the  prosperity  of  commerce  would  always  be  in 
proportion  to  the  prosperity  of  agriculture  and  manufiictures. 

Daniel  Webster  once  spoke  of  agriculture  as  follows  :  "  It 
feeds  us ;  to  a  great  extent  it  clothes  us  ;  without  it  we 
should  not  have  manufactures,  we  should  not  have  commerce. 
They  all  stand  together,  like  pillars  in  a  cluster,  the  largest 
in  the  centre,  and  that  largest  is  agriculture."  Washington 
said,  "I  know  of  no  pursuit  in  which  more  real  and  impor- 
tant service  can  })e  rendered  to  any  country,  than  by  improv- 
ing her  agriculture.  A  skilful  agriculture  will  constitute  one 
of  the  mightiest  bulwarks  of  which  civil  liberty  can  boast." 
Did  he  foresee  the  great  struggle  through  which  his  country 
Avas  to  pass,  and  through  which  it  could  not  have  passed 
triumphantl}^  but  with  the  assistance  of  this  "  mighty  bul- 
wark" that  compelled  the  South  to  give  up  sooner  than 
she  would,  had  not  starvation  stared  her  in  the  face?  It  was 
the  lack  of  bacon  and  corn,  as  well  as  the  force  of  our  bullets, 
that  gave  us  the  victory.  It  was  the  power  we  held  to  sup- 
ply that  mighty  army  with  bread,  combined  with  the  bone 
and  sinew  of  our  brave  farmer  boys,  that  made  the  North  in- 
vincible. What  could  we  have  done  without  our  railroads  ? 
And  what  interest,  more  than  any  other,  built  our  railroads  ? 
Agriculture  and  her  associate  interests,  without  which  they 
could  not  be  supported  to-day. 

Look  at  California.  A  little  more  than  twenty  short  years 
have  passed  since  the  discovery  of  her  gold.  For  ten  years 
she  poured  her  vast  treasures  into  the  lap  of  the  world,  and 
still  she  was  poor  in  every  qualification  that  makes  a  State 
great  and  prosperous.  She  was  a  non-producer  of  the  great 
staples.  She  had  but  little  agriculture,  although  endowed 
with  a  rich  virgin  soil  and  the  finest  climate  on  the  continent. 
She  had  no  manufactures,  and  consequent!}"  but   little  com- 


9 

merce.  She  was  poor  iiiclccd  with  all  her  gold.  She  saw 
her  fault,  and  wisely  went  to  work  to  correct  it.  She  turned 
her  attention  to  agriculture  and  manufiictures,  and  our  ven- 
erated Honorar}^  President  has  told  us  of  her  present  great- 
ness. 

There  are  two  periods  in  the  history  of  our  country  worthy 
of  note.  The  lirst  was  the  action  of  England  towards  her 
colonies  jirevious  to  the  revolution.  She  held  them  in  such 
absolute  subjection  that,  besides  the  common  domestic  indus- 
try and  the  ordinary  mechanical  employments,  no  kind  of 
manufacturing  was  allowed.  In  1750  a  manufactory  of  hats 
in  Massachusetts  drew  the  attention  and  excited  the  jealousy 
of  Parliament.  All  colonial  manufactories  were  declared  to 
be  common  nuisances,  not  excepting  even  forges,  in  a  coun- 
try possessing  in  abundance  every  element  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  iron.  In  1770  the  great  Chatham,  alarmed  by  the 
first  manufacturing  attempts  of  New  England,  declared  that 
the  colonies  ought  not  to  l)e  allowed  to  manufacture  so  much 
as  a  hob-nail.*  Freed  from  the  trammels  which  had  been 
imposed  upon  them,  and  reduced  consequently  to  their  own 
resources  for  the  supply  of  their  wants,  the  United  States 
found  during  the  war  that  manufiictures  of  every  kind  had 
received  a  remarkable  impulse,  and  that  agriculture  was  de- 
riving from  them  such  benefits  that  the  value  of  the  soil,  as 
well  as  the  wages  of  labor,  were  largely  increased  in  spite  of 
the  ravages  of  war.  After  the  war,  the  manufactured  pro- 
ducts of  England  again  found  an  open  door  ;  and  encountering 
the  inffiut  manufactures  of  America  in  free  competition,  the 
latter  being  unal)le  to  sustain  themselves,  the  industry  which 
had  sprung  up  and  prospered  during  the  war  was  extin- 
guished. Our  manufacturers  were  ruined,  our  merchants, 
even  those  who  had  hoped  to  enrich  themselves  by  importa- 
tions, became  bankrupt ;  and  all  these  causes  united  had  such 
a  disastrous  influence  upon  agriculture,  that  a  general  depre- 

*  8ee  I/ist.  p.  1(;7 ;  Hiutoa's  U.S.,  pp-  181-103 ;  Tucker,  vol.  i.  p.  81. 


10 

cialiou  ot"  real  estate  followed,  and  failiii'e  ])eeaiiic  general 
among  proprietors.  American  industry  mnst  have  perished 
in  that  struggle  if  the  eml^argo,  and  afterwards  the  war  of 
1812,  had  not  come  to  its  relief.  In  this  period,  as  in  that  of 
the  war  of  Independence,  the  industrial  arts  received  an  ex- 
traordinary impulse. 

Long  experience  has  tanght  ns  that  agriculture  could  not 
arrive  at  a  high  degree  of  jirosperity  Avithout  manufacturing 
industry.  As  Jefferson  said,  "The  prosperity  of  the  coun- 
try can  only  be  fixed  upon  a  solid  basis  where  the  manufac- 
turers are  placed  side  by  side  with  the  agriculturists."  Allow 
me  to  quote  from  an  address  given  by  Hon.  Thomas  Allen 
before  the  Berkshire  Agricultural  Society  last  year.  He 
said,  "The  stimulus  given  to  production  by  the  late  civil 
war,  causing  high  prices,  induced  such  an  increase  in  the 
manufacture  of  agricultural  machinery  and  implements  as  to 
more  than  fill  the  place  of  the  million  of  men  drawn  into  the 
ranks  of  the  army;  and  the  consequence  was,  that  this  nation 
exhibited  an  example,  such  as  has  been  never  seen  in  all  his- 
tory, of  a  people  supporting  a  consuming  army  of  a  million 
in  the  field  of  war,  yet  not  only  filling  the  gap,  but  actually 
so  increasing  their  domestic  products  as  to  create  a  larger 
surplus  for  exportation  than  ever  before.  As  compared  with 
18 GO  and  the  years  previous,  these  exports,  except  cotton 
only,  were  actually  doubled  during  the  war;  and  thus  our 
agriculture  not  only  supplied  food  for  the  masses  of  the  peo- 
ple and  for  the  army  and  navy,  ])ut  gold  for  the  public  treas- 
ury. What  a  proud  monument  is  that  to  the  skill  of  our 
mechanics  and  the  enterprise  of  our  farmers  !  For  who  can 
say  that  but  for  this  wonderful  spirit  aroused  and  developed 
in  agriculture,  our  soldiers  could  not  have  been  sustained, 
and  the  war  might  have  been  a  failure  ?  " 

I  think  I  have  shown  you  that  the  cultivators  of  the  soil 
stand  pre-eminent  among  the  great  industrial  classes  in  our 
country  ;  that  they  feed  all  other  classes  and  produce  all  the 
raw  material  for  the  other  interests,  and  constitute  the  main 


11 


supporting  element  of  our  commerce.  I  have  not  lessened 
the  importance  of  any  other  interest,  but  have  shown  that  all 
stand  together  in  harmonious  relations,  and  that  no  one  in- 
terest can  suffer  without  affecting  the  whole. 

THE    INTERESTS    OF    LABOR. 

Wealth  of  itself  means  nothing  more  than  the  possession 
.  of  something  that  has  a  market  value  and  not  possessed  by 
the  generality  of  men.     It  is  only  a  benefit  in  the  highest 
degree  or  sense  when  its  blessings  are  diffused  among  all 
classes.     The  legitimate  purpose  of  wealth  is  to  ameliorate 
the  human  condition  as  much  as  possible  hy  furnishing  to 
man  the  means  of  physical  comfort  and  enjoyment,  and  open- 
ing a  way  for  his  highest  moral  and  intellectual   improve- 
ment.    To  be  effective,  Capital  and  Labor  must  be  on  good 
terms.     There  is  no  natural  antagonism  between  them.     The 
true  relations  of  capital  and  lalwr  are  best  maintained  wdiere 
there  is  the  greatest  freedom  of  competitive  industry,  and 
where  each  is  sure  of  its  rew^ard.     If  injustice  comes  between 
them,  both  must  suffer,  and   in  any  contention  Labor  must 
suffer  first,  as  her  wants  are  immediate ;  Capital  can  stand  a 
longer  siege.     Both  their  interests  grow  out  of  the  wants 
and  demands  of  the  community  ;   and  they  ought  not  to  be 
circumscribed,  unless  they  interfere  with  morality  and  the 
public  good.     It  is  to  capital  we  owe  our  public  and  private 
prosperity,  and  labor  partakes  as  much  of  its  benefits  as  cap- 
ital, and  oftentimes  more.     It  may  be  and  sometimes  is  the 
case,  owing  to  peculiar  circumstances,  as  in  some  kinds  of 
business  during  the  late  war,  that  capital  for  the  time   being 
may  reap  a  greater  reward  than  labor ;  still  the  time  always 
comes  when  the  tables  are  turned  and  labor  receives  more  in 
proportion  than  capital.     As  an  illustration  of  this  principle, 
let  us  take  the  woollen  manufacturing  interests  during  the 
late  w\ar.     Some  of  these  interests  enjoyed  unprecedented 
prosperity.     The  natural  effect  was  to  turn  into  that  channel 
all  the  available  machinery  of  the  country.     The  war  ending 


12 

suddenly,  left  this  vast  ainouiil  of  machinery  in  full  opera- 
tion, and  consequently  the  supply  soon  exceeded  the  demand. 
Instead  of  stoppin^:  or  turning'  a  part  into  other  channels, 
thus  reducing  the  product  to  the  actual  demand,  the  manu- 
facturer, feeling  his  strength  in  the  accumulated  profits  of 
the  past,  continued  to  manufacture  until  the  surplus  was 
thrown  on  to  an  overstocked  market,  and  consequently 
prices  fell,  in  some  cases  even  below  the  cost  of  the  raw  ma- 
terial. The  splendid  fortunes  made  during  the  continuance 
of  the  war  soon  vanished,  and  hundreds  of  millions  were  thus 
lost  to  the  capitalists.  Fortunate  was  it  for  the  country, 
and  more  especially  for  the  laboring  classes,  that  the  capi- 
talists heeded  not  the  warnings  of  prudence.  Had  they 
stopped  manufacturing,  it  would  have  depressed  all  other 
kinds  of  business,  and  deprived  the  laborer  of  his  employ- 
ment, and  created  untold  misery  and  suffering.  But  on  the 
contrary,  wages  continued  at  war  prices,  and  still  continue, 
notwithstanding  the  decline  in  the  prices  of  food  and  cloth- 
ing. It  could  be  shown  that  every  dollar  lost  by  the  man- 
ufacturer was  paid  in  wages  to  the  laborer.  The  laborer 
continued  on  in  prospei'ity  while  the  capitalist  lost  all.  Con- 
sider the  benelits  the  laborer  and  the  community  derived 
from  this  sacrifice  of  capital.  It  took  the  splendid  fortunes 
of  the  past  and  diffused  them  through  the  community. 

The  true  interests  of  the  country  are  pr(nnoted  where  these 
powerful  industrial  elements  operate  in  sympathy  and  attract 
instead  of  repelling  each  other.  We  want  no  antagonism 
wdiere  all  ought  to  confederate  for  the  common  good. 
When  we  foster  the  great  productive  forces  which  feed  and 
clothe  humanity,  we  bring  each  calling  into  amity  and  reci- 
procity with  all  other  callings.  Thus  the  great  harp  of  la- 
bor with  its  thousand  strings,  touched  as  with  a  master's 
hand,  will  vibrate  in  harmony  through  all  the  land.  Mighty 
are  the  achievements  that  spring  from  the  union  of  capital 
and  labor;  but  their  noblest  offspring  are  the  homes  of  our 
people.     It  is  these  that  make  the  chief  glory  of  New  Eng- 


13 

land.  Go  where  yon  will,  and  more  especially  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  her  cities  and  large  villages,  and  you  will  Hnd  numer- 
ous rural  homes,  owned  generally  1)}-  the  occupants,  and 
surrounded  by  beautiful  trees  and  flowers  and  tastefid  gar- 
dens. These  are  not  the  houses  of  the  rich  alone  :  a  major- 
ity, a  large  majority,  belong  to  the  middle  and  even  i)oorer 
classes. 

There  is  not  a  spot  on  the  continent  where  the  people  are 
so  well  fed  and  so  comfortal)ly  housed  as  in  the  "Old  Bay 
State. "  There  is  no  spot  on  this  beautiful  earth  where  the 
poorer  classes  are  so  well  fed,  so  well  clothed  and  so  well 
to  do,  in  all  that  confers  comfort  and  happiness  upon  the  in- 
dividual. There  is  no  place  where  the  laborer  receives 
greater  reward  for  his  toil,  where  he  can  enjoy  so  many 
blessings,  free  as  the  air  he  breathes,  as  here  in  our  own 
New  England.  Our  schools  are  free  to  all,  ignorance  has 
no  excuse,  and  the  poor  shall  not  want. 

The  character  of  a  people  may  always  be  correctly  judged 
by  their  surroundings  ;  and  it  is  these  influences  that  have 
made  us  what  we  are,  — the  most  moral  and  the  liest  educated, 
as  a  whole,  in  the  world.  The  spirit  of  our  institutions 
being  against  large  landed  proprietors,  brings  the  diflerent 
classes  more  closely  into  connnunion  of  tastes  and  habits  ; 
and  a  correct  taste  once  formed  in  a  conmnmit}'  becomes  dif- 
fused through  the  whole,  thus  elevating  the  whole  mass. 
Let  the  political  hucksters  who  are  prowling  up  and  down 
the  land,  striving  to  create  an  antagonism  between  the  la- 
borer and  his  employer,  turn  their  attention  to  the  bettering 
the  condition  of  the  honest  poor  in  their  home  surroundings, 
and  they  would  confer  a  real  l)lessing  upon  the  whole  com- 
munity. Let  them  associate  with  others  having  capital  ;  let 
them  secure  lands  in  healthy  locations,  lay  out  streets  and 
ornament  them  with  trees  and  shrul)s,  and  I)uild  neat  and 
comfortable  dwellings  ;  then  let  them  take  these  men  by 
the  hand,  and  say  to  them,  "One  of  these  hoiues  can  be 
yours  if  you  will  ;   industry,  economy  and  sobriety  Avill  make 


14 


them  3-ours  ;  "  unci  they  will  thu.s  open  u  fountuin  in  that  man's 
heart  that  has  been  closed  to  its  own  interests  by  the  ice  of 
envy  and  jealousy. 

The  cry  of  these  agitators  is,  "We  uuist  elevate  labor." 
Yes ;  but  you  must  elevate  the  laborer  lirst.  You  cannot 
raise  the  stream  al)ove  the  fountain.  The  thermometer  of 
manhood  will  indicate  every  degree  of  excellence  ;  and  when 
the  mercury  has  risen  above  the  freezing  point  of  the  lower 
passions  into  the  genial  warmth  of  a  higher  manhood,  then, 
and  not  till  then,  will  his  virtues  bud  and  blossom.  To  ele- 
vate the  laborer  you  must  first  create  a  desire  in  him  to  bet- 
ter his  condition  ;  then  show  him  a  plausible  way  to  do  it. 
Desire  is  the  mainspring  to  all  endeavor,  both  good  and  evil ; 
and  when  the  desire  of  a  man  goes  no  further  than  to  work 
that  he  may  eat  and  drink,  there  is  not  much  chance  to  dig- 
nify labor.  Inspire  the  laborer  with  new  incentives,  awaken 
a  laudable  self-esteem,  and  he  will  work  with  a  will.  As- 
sure him  he  may  have  a  comturtable  homstead  for  his  family, 
and  the  motive  to  exertion  will  put  the  eight  and  ten  hour 
system  out  of  his  mind.  The  allui'ements  of  home  will  absorb 
all  inclination  to  roam  from  place  to  place.  He  will  discover 
that  he  has  something  to  live  for,  and  thus  become  a  satis- 
tied,  loyal  citizen,  a  sustainer  of  the  laws  that  before  seemed 
enactetl  for  his  oppression.  To  place  before  men  reasonable 
objects  of  am1)ition,  and  exalt  their  aims,  is  praiseworthy  in 
the  sight  of  all  men.  There  are  but  few  natures  so  lost  to 
the  dignity  of  manhood  that  they  will  l^Hray  the  confidence 
reposed  in  them. 

The  interest  of  agriculture  is  the  interest  of  humanity. 
Seven  eighths  of  the  population  of  the  most  civilized  nations 
arc  engaged  in  it,  and  it  mainly  feeds  the  inhabitants  of  the 
globe,  estimated  at  more  than  one  thousand  millions.  Nev- 
cj-theless  there  exists  a  prejudice  against  farming.  This  is 
not  all  from  the  outside.  There  is  a  lack  of  contidence 
among  the  farmers  themselves.  They  think  that  other  in- 
terests and   professions  make  a  greater  show  in  the  world  ; 


15 

that  it  is  easier  to  get  riulies  and  honor  in  the  workshop  or 
connting-room  than  on  the  farm.  This  is  erroneous  ;  but 
still  the  influence  of  this  impression  is  as  injurious  as  though 
it  were  actually  true.  Therefore  any  measures  calculated  to 
instill  a  greater  respect  for  the  farmer's  calling  will  in  a 
measure  effect  a  cure.  What  avc  want  is  to  create  an  enthu- 
siasm among  the  fiirmers,  make  them  feel  that  their  calling  is 
respectalde  and  respected.  They  will  thus  receive  afresh  im- 
pulse and  inspiration.  Let  our  young  men  but  imbibe  this  spir- 
it, and  they  will  impart  it  to  all  with  whom  they  come  in  con- 
tact. The  farm  is  the  great  nursery  of  all  the  professions  as 
well  as  the  industrial  arts  of  the  country.  From  the  hills  and 
valleys  of  New  England,  fresh  and  vigorous  come  the  strong 
recruits  to  lill  the  vacant  places  of  honor,  influence  and 
power.  The  heated  air  of  the  factory,  workshop  and  count- 
ing-room is  not  conducive  to  the  growth  of  substantial  men. 
These  only  grow  to  perfection  in  the  free  air  of  our  hillsides 
and  valleys  ;  and  "the  nearer  the  soil,  the  better  the  stock." 

We  always  speak  of  the  firmer's  profits  comparatively. 
We  compare  his  success  with  that  of  the  merchant  or  manu- 
facturer, and  even  then  we  do  not  take  them  generally,  but 
individually.  We  take  isolated  cases  of  success.  In  consid- 
ering the  profitableness  of  farming  we  should  remember  that 
farmers  nowhere  live  so  well  and  spend  so  much  money  on 
themselves  and  families  as  in  New  England.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  another,  "There  are  none  that  make  the  soil  con- 
tribute so  much  to  the  soul  and  character ;  none  who  use 
such  excellent  instruments  ;  none  who  have  more  convenient 
buildings ;  none  who  educate  their  children  better,  and  none 
whose  real  manhood  is  more  purely  developed  in  all  the  im- 
portant relations  of  life." 

The  present  is  a  fast  age,  especially  with  us  Yankees. 
Everybody  is  in  a  hurry  to  get  rich,  and  few  are  willing  to 
bide  their  time  and  patiently  pursue  the  intermediate  steps 
necessary  to  obtain  this  result.  We  all  want  to  begin  where 
our  fathers  left  ofl".     But  experience  teaches  us  that  success 


16 

is  nirely  o1)taiiictl  except  through  patient  industry  persis- 
tentlj^  pursued  through  many  years.  It  is  only  time  and  in- 
dustry that  build  the  fabric  statel}^  and  strong.  It  is  the 
restlessness  and  impatience  that  cause  so  many  failures  in 
life  ;  and  the  farmer  is  no  exception  to  this  rule.  But  more 
persons  succeed  in  agriculture,  in  proportion  to  the  number 
employed  in  it,  than  in  any  other  calling.  Certain  conditions 
are  requisite  to  success  in  any  business ;  and  with  these 
secured,  prosperity  is  sure  to  follow. 

One  great  secret  of  success  in  any  l)usiness  is  a  love  of  the 
calling.  One's  heart  must  be  in  it.  He  must  have  faith 
and  confidence,  and  then  go  ahead.  Again,  he  must  under- 
stand his  calling.  If  the  farmer  ploughs  deep  he  must  manure 
accordingly.  So,  too,  he  must  be  frugal,  turning  everything 
into  grist.  If  we  gather  hay  we  must  rake  after,  as  success 
often  depends  upon  the  gleanings.  It  is  the  last  ounce  that 
tips  the  scale. 

I  have  said  that  the  condition  of  a  people  may  he  correctly 
judged  by  their  surroundings.  This  is  particularly  true  of 
the  farmer.  Go  where  you  will,  and  you  can  tell  a  thrifty 
farmer  the  moment  your  eye  rests  on  his  grounds.  What- 
ever a  man  loves  to  do  he  will  generally  do  well,  and  he  will 
do  it  with  an  earnestness  that  overcomes  all  obstacles.  On 
the  contrary,  where  there  is  indifference  nothing  is  done  as 
it  should  be.  When  the  farmer  is  earnest  he  is  enthusiastic, 
and  his  work  is  a  pleasure  and  delight ;  and  order,  neatness 
and  happiness  are  the  result.  The  man  who  is  a  farmer  by 
accident  or  force  of  circumstances,  and  has  no  love  for  the 
calling,  can  never  succeed.  His  fingers  are  as  stiff  and  cold 
as  his  heart,  and  they  will  not  work.  I  assure  you,  my 
friends,  that  there  is  nothing  that  adds  a  more  abiding  charm 
and  satisfaction  to  one's  life  and  experience  than  the  pursuit 
of  agriculture.  You,  Mr.  President,  will  allow  me  to  quote 
from  a  most  able  address,  given  before  this  Society  more 
than  tAventy  years  ago  by  one  of  its  founders  and  most  noble 
benefactors,  whose  memory  "still  lives"  in  the  hearts  of  its 


17 


nieiiibers,  and  will   be  cherished  long  after  those  that  knew 
him  here  shall  have  passed  away. 

He  said,  "The  desire  to  get  rid  of  farm  work  should  not 
exist  among  the  young  men  of  an  agricultur^  people  ;  and 
yet  it  would  be  uncharitable  to  keep  them  all  at  home  when 
the  cities  cannot  live  without  them.  It  is  the  fresh  activity 
of  the  country  that  feeds  the  healthy  growth  and  vigor  of  the 
town  ;  and  the  most  distinguished  instances  of  success  in  pro- 
fessional, mercantile  or  mechanical  life  may  l)e  traced  back  to 
the  farm.  The  raw  1)oy  who  to-day  makes  his  lirst  acquain- 
tance with  the  crowded  street,  in  everybody's  way,  as  he 
stares  with  dazzled  eyes  and  open  mouth  at  the  shop  windows 
and  moving  wonders  about  him,  will  in  a  few  years  be  found 
one  of  the  conscript  fathers  of  the  city  ;  a  leader  among  the 
able  and  enterprising,  a  founder  of  public  charities,  a  bene- 
factor to  the  poor,  a  man  of  great  heart  and  open  hand, 
mighty  in  the  money  market,  yet  not  unmindful  that  he  be- 
gan with  nothing,  and  readv  to  assist  and  encourao-e  those 
who  are  starting  on  the  same  capital.  Go  to  the  luxurious 
mansion  of  this  successful  man  when  he  shall  have  obtained 
the  full  zenith  of  prosperity.  Ask  him,  as  he  is  surrounded 
b}^  everything  th^  is  supposed  to  make  existence  desirable, 
on  what  portion  of  his  eventful  life  he  looks  back  with  most 
satisfaction.  Will  he  dwell  on  connnercial  gains,  or  profes- 
sional eminence,  or  political  honors?  Oh,  no!  He  will 
turn  coldly  from  these  aims  of  his  uneasy  life  back  to  the 
time  when  he  knew  nothing  of  the  busy  world  before  him, 
and  he  will  glow  with  pride  as  he  honestly  boasts  of  his  for- 
mer skill  with  the  scythe,  or  of  the  rods  of  stone  wall  he  as- 
sisted to  lay  on  his  father's  farm.  He  will  tell  you  that  often 
as  he  has  struggled  in  the  hard  battle  of  life,  when  disap- 
pointment, which  comes  to  all,  has  visited  him,  and  as  he 
has  been  weighed  down  by  a  sense  of  the  worthlessness  of 
the  prize  which  has  been  the  object  of  his  exertions,  the 
happy  spot  where  he  once  played  and  worked  has  arisen  T)e- 
fore  him  to  rel)uke  him  with  the  peace  he  abandoned.     He 


18 


will  say  how  he  has  ho[)ed  lu  have,  one  <lay,  some  quiet  spot 
Avhere  the  evening  of  life  could  glide  tranquilly  on  amidst 
the  repose  and  ))eauty  of  nature  ;  how  he  lias  longed  to  live 
again  amon^the  holy  things  of  his  early  days,  which  have 
had  an  intinencc  on  the  better  part  of  his  life.  He  Avill  tell 
how  his  sleep  has  been  tinged  with  recollections  of  the  past, 
dreaming  over  his  boy-time  once  more  ;  hearing  the  song  of 
birds,  as  it  used  to  come  in  the  twilight  through  the  windows, 
mingled  with  the  breath  of  the  honeysuckle,  and  feeling 
again  the  south  wind  i)lay  in  the  Taven  locks  of  his  child- 
hood."* 

These  truthful  words, — 

"They  haunt  nie  sfill,  though  many  a  year  has  fled. 
Like  some  wikl  )iiek)dy  ;  " 

and  Avill,  so  long  as  my  memory  shall  hold  its  throne.  And 
I  am  happy  in  the  thought  that  the  spotless  mantle  of  this 
most  estimable  man  has  fallen  upon  a  son  who  is  worthy  to 
l)car  it. 

Had  the  principles  of  agricidtural  reform  and  improve- 
ments l)een  as  well  understood  as  the  principles  which  gov- 
ern our  mercantile  interests,  and  been^is  well  applied,  our 
New  England  farms  Avould  not  present  the  barren  spectacle 
Avhich  in  some  instances  avc  now  behold.  You  cannot  vio- 
late the  laws  of  the  soil  any  more  than  you  can  the  laws 
which  govern  your  physical  system.  Similar  laws  govern 
l)oth.  Nature  will  supply  the  demands  of  growth  according  to 
her  resources  ;  and  when  exhausted,  must  receive  back  the 
elements  of  which  she  has  l)een  robbed,  or  she  refuses  longer 
to  yield  her  wonted  harvest.  Science  enjoins  upon  agricul- 
ture the  condition  of  a  self-sustaining  vitalit}'.  Whatever  is 
taken  from  the  soil  by  the  harvest  must  be  returned  to  it 
again  ;  otherwise  a  great  injury  is   inflicted,  not  only  upon 

*  The  late  Hon.  C.ieoi;,'e  It.  lUissell. 


19 

the  fanner  liut  upon  the  whole  country.  It  has  been  truly 
said,  "To  destroy  the  productiveness  of  the  soil,  to  squander 
the  elements  of  that  productiveness,  is  to  destroy  the  hopes 
of  civilized  humanity,  and  rob  posterity  of  its  birthright  to 
a  career  of  progress."  We  are  the  agents  in  the  employ  of 
nature  to  prosecute  and  improve  her  interests  ;  and  in  order 
to  do  this  understandingly  we  must  be  fully  acquainted  with 
her  workings.  We  must  understand  the  action  of  light,  heat, 
moisture  and  the  properties  of  vegetable  growth  ;  how  this 
plant  food  is  formed,  and  how  and  in  what  manner  the  plant 
takes  up  and  appropriates  that  food  to  its  own  use ;  the 
efl'ect  of  cropping  upon  the  soil,  and  the  condition  of  the 
soil  under  any  circumstances  ;  the  causes  of  fertility  ;  the 
effects  of  ploughing,  underdraining,  irrigation,  &q. 

There  is  a  love  of  nature  instinct  in  every  living  soul. 
This,  if  rightly  influenced,  may  conduce  to  the  highest  inter- 
ests of  agriculture.  The  mind  is  ever  active,  and  possesses 
the  quality  of  curiosity  to  a  large  degree.  It  must  know  the 
why  and  wherefore  of  external  objects,  and  their  relations, 
and  it  receives  pleasure  in  the  cftbrt  to  obtain  this  knowledge, 
and  the  possession  but  creates  a  desire  to  know  more  and 
more.  New  ideas  and  emotions  excite  and  perpetuate  the 
mind's  activity,  which  is  essential  to  our  enjoyment.  Na- 
ture is  boundless  ;  she  is  a  complete  laboratory  ;  she  is  full  of 
information.  The  sciences  applicable  to  agriculture  are  the 
key  to  unlock  and  disclose  to  the  inquii'ing  mind  her  mys- 
teries. 

]\Iy  friends,  the  future  prospects  of  agriculture  in  this 
country  cannot  be  misunderstood.  The  rapid  improvements 
that  are  being  made  in  the  machinery  of  the  farm,  show  that 
the  mind  as  well  as  the  muscle  is  actively  at  woi'k ;  that  the 
days  of  ignorant  toil  are  fast  giving  way  to  the  united  efforts 
of  the  head  and  hand  ;  that  the  prejudices  which  have  sur- 
rounded the  tillers  of  the  soil  like  mists  around  the  moun- 
tain's SLunmlt,  are  being  gradually  dispelled  through  the  in- 
fluence  of   an    enlio-htened    understandino".     The    farmer  is 


20 


about  to  assume  his  rightful  place  at  the  head  oi'  our  indus- 
trial pursuits.  The  Agricultural  College  and  the  Institute  of 
Industrial  Science  are  l)oth  established  on  a  tirm  foundation. 
Through  the  instrumentality  of  these  twiu  institutions  of  our 
Commonwealth,  the  farmer  and  mechanic  Avill  be  raised  to  a 
loftier  position  of  dignity  and  influence,  with  an  enlarged 
power  of  blessing,  not  oidy  themselves,  but  the  world. 

The  time  is  coming  when  the  rudimentary  principles  of 
agriculture  and  the  mechanic  arts  will  be  branches  of  learn- 
ing to  be  taught  in  our  common  schools.  The  time  is  not 
far  distant  when  the  living  language  of  nature,  as  interpreted 
by  Geology,  Botany  and  Vegetable  Physiology  will  be  like 
"household  words"  "with  the  farmer,  who  will  then  go  forth 
and  see  how  the  silent  chemistry  of  nature,  like  a  mighty 
architect,  l)uilds  up  the  gorgeous  fal)ric  of  the  vegetable  cre- 
ation, alike  stately,  delicate  and  beautiful.  So  will  the  farm- 
er's calling  be  ennobled  and  invested  with  the  fascinations  of 
intellectual  grace  and  beauty. 

And  now,  in  conclusion,  I  congratulate  you  again  upon  the 
success  of  3^our  labors  for  the  past  season.  In  the  few  words 
I  have  spoken  I  am  conscious  of  having  said  little  that  is  not 
already  familiar  to  you  all.  But  if  I  have  succeeded  in  im- 
pressing upon  you  something  of  my  own  conviction  of  the 
dignity,  importance  and  usefulness  of  New  England  Agricul- 
ture and  Mechanic  Arts,  I  shall  be  more  than  content.  Al- 
though we  New  Englanders  are  not  known  as  an  agricultural 
people,  still  to  my  mind  there  is  nothing  that  adds  more  to 
her  culture,  comfoi't  and  happiness  than  her  Agricultural  and 
Horticultural  interests.  They  are  the  essential  elements  in 
her  domestic  economy*,  without  which  the  grand  harmony  of 
New  England's  industries  would  be  incomplete.  Forever 
may  the  mow^er's  scythe  and  the  harvester's  flail  ring  in  uni- 
son with  the  weaver's  shuttle  and  forgeman's  anvil  I 

Whatever  adds  to  the  glory  and  character  of  New  England 
it  l)ehooves  us  to  sacredly  foster  and  transmit.  We  love 
thee.  New   England,  land   of  pence,   prosperity  and   plenty  ! 


21 


We  hail  thee  leader  in  the  world's  grand  progress.  Stran- 
gers and  wanderers  seek  refuge  in  thine  open  arms,  with 
benedictions.     Thou  hast  enough  and  to  spare. 

•'  Nature  never  did  betray 
The  heart  that  loved  her;  'tis  her  privileofe 
Through  all, the  years  of  this  our  life  to  lead 
From  joy  to  joy ;  for  she  cau  so  inform 
The  mind  that  is  within  us,  so  impress 
With  quietness  and  beauty,  and  so  feed 
Our  cheerful  faith,  that  all  which  we  heboid 
IsfuUofblessiuffs." 


300 


